Support

Become part of a unique process of discovery…..

To support the Medici Archive Project (MAP) is not only to espouse the ideas about patronage that the Medci dynasty envisioned as crucial to the welfare of a progressive and enlightened society. It is also a way of contributing to reveal how this society functioned and operated. As MAP enters into its fundraising campaign stronger and more determined than ever, it is also launching new ventures that will reinforce its mission and bring its discoveries to a larger public. Exhibitions, a MAP book series dedicated to the publication of the works of our fellows, and educational outreach through online courses, will expand our knowledge of the momentous historical moment that gave birth to the modern age.

The small Medici state had a wide scope. The letters, documents, and diplomatic correspondence contained in the archive reveal a continuous discussion on political, cultural, scientific, and artistic issues aimed at perfecting the structure of the state. These debates contain in a nutshell the seeds that will germinate in the modern constitutions of other countries in other areas of the world. While far from democratic the Medici state respected minorities, personal freedom, and the role of the individual. To uncover the continuous brainstorming that characterized the life of the Medici rule is tantamount to learning more about our own times, and to understanding how our contemporary institutions germinated from a debate that took place in the late Italian Renaissance.

Supporters of the Medici Archive Project at all levels contribute to a unique process of historical revelation, and join a select group of patrons who understand that knowledge brings wisdom. To be part of this process of discovery will bring an unprecedented sense of fulfillment as well as the satisfaction of making a difference in the advancement of knowledge.